Control unit for composing machines



March 26, 1957 M. T. GOETZ CONTROL UNIT FOR COMPOSING MACHINES Filed April 19, 1954 w mm in MN INVENTOR MAURUS T. GOETZ ATTORNEY United States Maurus T. Goetz, Chicago, 111., assignor to Teletypesetter Corporation, Chicago, EL, a corporation of Delaware Application April 19, 1954, Serial No. 424,099

2 Claims. (Cl. 199-18) The present invention relates to line composing machines and more particularly to signal controlled mechanism employed for the automatic operation and supervision thereof.

In the attainment of automatic control of present commercial types of photographic composing machines, of the type disclosed in United States Patents No. 2,391,021 and 2,552,882, it has been observed that owing to the fact that the matrices, instead of having two characters indented on its edge for casting purposes, is equipped with a single negative film image of the corresponding character; that is, the matrices carry a single photographable character thereon. Accordingly, because there is only one character obtainable on each matrix, the small caps usually associated with the corresponding upper case capital letter characters in the upper case group of matrices are required to be applied to separate and individual matrices. Thus, it is necessary. to provide for a third shift or case group, to thereby permit selection to be accomplished between the lower case alphabet, the upper case alphabet and the small cap alphabet on the photographic composing machine keyboard. To provide for the automatic control of this three-shift selection, the control unit disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,091,- 286 has been modified according to the present invention to provide a third shift responsive to signals carried in a control tape.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an automatic control device for line composing machines having facilities for extending the selective operations thereof. I

Another object of the invention is to provide in an automatic tape controlled device, a three-case shift control means having shift instrumentalities capable of facilitating a change in case directly from any one of three case groups to either of the others.

A better understanding of the present invention will be obtained from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged plan view, with parts broken away, of a control unit showing the three-case shift mechanism according to the present invention embodied therein; and v Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the tape reading portion of the control unit shown in Fig. 1.

The present invention, in its preferred embodiment, has been adapted to an automatic control mechanism disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,091,286 granted August 31, 1937 to H. L. Krum et al., and particularly to the shift'mechanism shown in Fig. 3 of said Patent No. 2,091,286. Accordingly, the disclosure of said Patent No. 2,091,286, insofar as it relates to the present invention, is incorporated herein by reference. The selective operation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is effected, as set forth in said Patent No. 2,091,286, under the control of a perforated tape 11 (Fig. 2), which is stepped through a record reader or signal controlled means 12 comprising a set of signal sensitive or tape reading elements (not "aren't ice shown) which are set permutably, as described in said patent, to control through a transfer mechanism (not shown) the permutative positionment of a corresponding set of connector bars 13 which are connected to a set of permutation code bars 14 that control the selection of a group of selector bars or members 15. Briefly, the selector bars 15, as described in said patent are positioned alternatively above and below the permutation bars 14 and are held apart by a spreader cam shaft 16, which is provided with two longitudinal cam surfaces, and in rotating, during each half revolution thereof, the shaft 16 tends first to spread the selector bars and then to permit them to approach each other. The apices or high points of the spreader cam, while at rest and holding apart the selector bars 15, cause the latter to clear the edges of the permutation bars 14, but immediately after leaving this position, and during rotation, the several bars 15 are permitted to approach each other and to contact the edges of the set of permutation bars 14 and for each condition of the several bars 14, an individual alignment of notches is afforded into which the adjacent selector bar 15 is permitted to drop. Upon selection the foremost portion 17 of the bar 15 either of the upper alignment or of the lower one, as the case may be, presents itself so that a shoulder thereon may be engaged by a striker bar 18. When the striker bar 18 moves forwardly it engages said selected selector bar 15 and carries said bar 15 bodily with a sharp staccato motion, driving it against the depending arm of an associated bell crank lever 19, the horizontal arm of which overlaps an extension on an associated keylever of the composing machine to initiate operation thereof to perform a function; for example, to effect the selection of a matrix.

In contradistinction with the matrix selector bars 15, special function selector bars 21, 22 and 23 for achieving the object of the present invention are provided with integnal depending lugs 24, 25 and 26, respectively (analogous to lug 138 on bar 156 shown in Fig. 17 of said Patent No. 2,091,286). In addition to the code bars or permutation bars 14, there are provided a pair of permutation bars 28 and 29 for governing the shift mechanism according to the present invention. Selector bars 21, 22 and 23 acting cooperatively determine the positioning of the shift code bars 28 and 29 in the following manner. When the selector bar 23 upon being selected is moved forward, its depending lug 26 engages one arm 31 of a lever 32 mounted on a pivot 33 rotating it clockwise. Simultaneously therewith clockwise rotation is imparted to a lever 34 through arm 35 thereof. Lever 34 is mounted pivotally at 30 on a supporting plate 36. Arm 37 of lever 32 is provided at the extremity thereof with a stud 38 which cooperates with a trigger member 39 also mounted on pivot 30.

Lever 32 when thus operated clockwise by selector bar 23 imparts through stud 38 counterclockwise movement to trigger 39. This movement of trigger 39 liberates arm 41 of a plural-armed lever 4-2 which is also provided with arms 43 and 44. Lever 42 is thus freed to respond to its spring 45, whereby lever 42 is rotated counterclockwise, until the end of arm 41 engages the shoulder 46, to attempt to shift the permutation bar 29 rightwardly through engagement of its arm 44 with a projection 47 of said bar 29. Such movement will be effected when the frictional restraint between the permutation bar 255 and the selector bars 15 has been eliminated.

The arm 48 of lever 34 cooperatively engages the end of arm 49 of a rocker lever 51 mounted pivotally at 52 on the support 36, the other arm 53 of which cooperates with arm 54 of a trigger member 55 mounted pivotally at 56 on support 36. Trigger 55 is normally biased counterclockwise by a spring 50. Arm 57 of lever 58 is provided with shoulders 58 and 59 adapted to cooperate with 3 the end of arm 61 of a plural-armed lever 62 having also arms 63 and 64. Lever 62 is normally biased clockwise by a spring 65 about its pivot 60. Associated with the plural-armed lever 62 and carried on the pivot 69 is a lever arm 66 which is normally biased toward the arm 64 by a spring 67 extending therebetween. Likewise, associated with the plural-armed lever 42 and carried on the pivot 33 is a lever arm 68 which is normally biased toward the arm 44 by a spring 69 extending therebetween.

Trigger member 39 is normally biased clockwise by a spring 71, and arm 72 of said member 39 is adapted to cooperate with arm 73 of a rocker member 74 mounted pivotally on said pivot 52. Arm 75 of lever 74 cooperate with an arm 76 of a lever 77 mounted pivotally on pivot 56. Lever 77 is also provided with an arm 7 8 which with arm 63 of lever 62 cooperates with the depending lug 24 of selector bar 21. Rocker levers 51 and 74 are normally biased attrahently by a spring 79 attached to spring anchor arms 81 and 82 thereof, respectively.

In the operation of the device according to the present invention, it is restated that the herein described threecase shift arrangement is provided with shift instrumentalities capable of facilitating a change of case directly from any one of three case groups to either of the others. In the three conditions of operation, the shift bars assume three relative positions; namely, (1) both bars 28 and 29 actuated leftwardly under the control of selector bar 22 as shown in Fig. l; (2) both bars 28 and 29 actuated rightwardly under the control of selector bar 21, and bars 28 and 29 actuated in reverse directions under the control of selector bar 23.

Under the condition of operation shown in Fig. 1, with the plural-armed lever 42 latched by the trigger member 39, and the plural-armed lever 62 unlatched (from member 55), the shift control permutation bars 28 and 29 have both assumed their leftward positions, so that with each permuted setting thereafter of permutation bars 14, the matrices of one case group only will be selected. The condition of operation shown in Fig. l was achieved or established upon the selection and operation of the selector bar 22, which, when operated forwardly, rotated levers 42 and 34 clockwise, substantially simultaneously. Lever 42 as a result thereof became latched through its arm 41 by trigger member 39, and through arm 68 moved the shift bar 29 leftwardly. At the same time, lever 34 was rotated clockwise to impart counterclockwise rotation to rocker lever 51, which through its arm 53 rotated the trigger member 55 clockwise to release or liberate the plural-armed lever 62, which through its arm 64 moved the shift bar 28 leftwardly. Therefore, under the control of selector bar 22, the shift bars 28 and 29 are both moved to their leftward positions, to control the selection of matrices from a first case group.

Now, in response to the selective operation of selector bar 23, the levers 32 and 34 will be rotated clockwise. Lever 34 in rotating clockwise will, through rocker lever 51 and trigger member 55, release or liberate the pluralarmed lever 62, as previously described, which under the influence of its spring 65, and through arm 64, will move shift bar 28 to its leftward position. Of course, as in the present example, lever 62 may already have been released, in which event the shift bar 23 remains in its leftward position. On the other hand, the clockwise rotation of lever 32, will cause, through its stud 38, the counterclockwise rotation of trigger member 39 to effect the release or liberation of plural-armed lever 42, which under the influence of its spring 45 is rotated counterclockwise to effect, through its arm 44, the rightward movement of shift bar 29. Therefore, under the control of selector bar 23, the shift bars 28 and 29 are moved in opposite directions; that is, shift bar 28 is moved leftwardly, and shift bar 29 is moved rightwardly, to control the selection of matrices from a second case group.

Further, in response to the selective operation ofselec tor bar 21, the levers 55 and 62 will be rotated counterclockwise. Lever 55 in rotating counterclockwise will, through rocker lever 51 and trigger member 39, release or liberate the plural-armed lever 42, which under the influence of its spring 45, and through arm 44, will move the shift bar 29 rightwardly. Lever 62 upon being rotated counterclockwise became latched by the trigger member 55, and through its arm 66 shift bar 28 was moved to its rightward position. Thus, under the control of selector bar 21, the shift bars 28 and 29 are both moved rightwardly, to control the selection of matrices from a third case group.

Thus it is seen that irrespective of the previous relative positionment of the shift bars 28 and 29, a new relative positionment is imparted to the bars 28 and 29 by whichever of the selector bars 21, 22 or 23 is operated. For example, in the condition of operation shown in Fig. l, whereat the bars 28 and 29 are in their leftward positions, either the bar 23 or the bar 21 may be thereafter operated and the correct relative positionment of the bars 28 and 29 will ensue directly. Also, it may be assumed that the bars 28 and 29 are in their rightward position initially, having been positioned thereat in re sponse to the operation of bar 21. Then, upon operation of either of the bars 22 or 23 the change in relative positionment of bars 28 and 29 will be effected directly to correspond to the selector bar operated. Furthermore, assuming that bars 23 and 29 have previously been positioned in response to the operation of selector bar 23, then either of the other relative positionments may be established directly upon operation of the appertaining selector bar 21 or 22. It is thus seen that there is provided in the arrangement shown and described, an interlocking or interrelated system of instrumcntalities adapted to facilitate a change of case directly from any one of three case groups to either of the others.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a particular application thereof, it will be understood that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a selector mechanism, a signal controlled means including a set of signal sensitive elements, a correspond ing set of permutation elements, means to position said permutation elements in accordance with the action of said corresponding signal sensitive elements, a plurality of members individually selectable in accordance with each positionment of said set of permutation elements, means to increase the aggregate permutative possibilities of said set of permutation elements without increasing said set of signal sensitive elements including an additional pair of permutation elements, a pair of pluralarmed levers effective under three conditions of operation for shifting said additional permutation elements, one of said levers articulated to one of said pair of said additional permutation elements, the other of said levers articulated to the other of said pair of said additional permutation elements, and interlocking means coopcrable with said levers under the control of certain of said members, said interlocking means comprising trigger means for each plural-armed lever and a pair of attru hently biased instrumentalities cooperable with said trigger means, whereby under a first condition of operation said pair of elements are operated simultaneously in one direction, under a second condition of operation said opposite direction, and under a third condition of operation said pair of elements are operated simultaneously in reverse directions to facilitate a change of case directly from any one of a plurality of case groups to any of the others.

2. In a selector mechanism, a signal. controlled means including a set of signal sensitive elements, a corresponding set of permutation elements, means to position said permutation elements in accordance with the action of said corresponding signal sensitive elements, a plurality of members individually selectable in accordance with each positionment of said set of permutation elements, means to increase the aggregate permutative possibilities of said set of permutative elements without increasing said set of signal sensitive elements including an additional pair of permutation elements, a first means controlled by one of said members for operating both said additional permutation elements simultaneously in one direction, a second means controlled by another of said members for operating both said additional permutation elements simultaneously in the opposite direction, and a third means controlled by a further one of said members for operating said additional permutation elements simultaneously in reverse directions, whereby a change of case directly from any one of three case groups to either of the others is facilitated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,808,597 Emery June 2, 1931 2,091,286 Krum et a1. Aug, 31, 1937 10 2,672,231 Goetz Mari 16, 1954 

